"Chris Isbell" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:05:10 +0000 (UTC), Stewart Pinkerton
wrote:

There is only one DAC worth buying - the Benchmark DAC1. It is for all
practical purposes perfect, and will make the very best use of any
incoming data stream.

I would be interested to run a level-matched DBT between the Benchmark
device and my considerably cheaper Behringer SRC 2496 to see if I can
hear any audible differences between the two. Any takers?

This request is posed out of genuine curiosity; I have no idea what
the result might be. Hopefully it will save me the 727-pound purchase
price of the DAC1. ;-)

--
Chris Isbell
Southampton, UK

Most unlikely to be a difference. In my view, for the past 5+ years, since
ADC & DAC chips have reached their current level of performance, it's hard
work to make an ADC or DAC that sounds bad. There are still some "hi-fi"
DACs in particular that have poor receivers and don't reclock properly, but
there's really no excuse for that any more. This will have the effect of
making the DAC more sensitive to jitter. Once you get to a certain level of
performance, sonic differences disappear, and you're left with product
choice being made on looks, facilities, engineering quality and price, not
longer sound quality. I think this is now true of all Hi-Fi components with
the exception of loudspeakers, ( and possibly Pick-up cartridges) for which
there are still sonic differences. ( more for loudspeakers than cartridges).

S.